Emotional
by YaoiD
Summary: Kakashi can’t stand being around Iruka: the man is too overemotional. He wears his heart on his sleeve and always lets the world know exactly what he thinks about it. It’s unbecoming of a ninja… so how does he find himself on the teacher’s doorstep?
1. Too Much

Kakashi can't stand being around Iruka: the man is too overemotional. He wears his heart on his sleeve and always lets the world know exactly what he thinks about it. It's unbecoming of a ninja… so how does he find himself on the teacher's doorstep?

A one shot in three parts.

**A/N:** I always make Iruka a gently blushing, cute little thing, so trying something a little different with him this time. Let's see how long I can pull this off. Not entirely OOC, just…different from what I usually read him to be. Hopefully. Coz tough Iruka is tough.

**Emotional**

**-Too Much-**

"Hatake, I am full aware of my responsibilities, but why is it that, if you're such a genius, you are incapable of filling in a simple mission report like everybody else?!" Iruka demanded, his patience finally snapping at that horrible little curve in the copy-nin's visible eye that is constantly taunting him, "Just because you are Konoha's number one jounin copy-nin sama," he continued, voice dripping with sarcasm, "does not mean you can expect everybody to bow to your every whim. Especially not me. You are not royalty, and you shouldn't expect to be treated as such," he said, aware of the silence in the room as everybody stared at the two men. Nobody daring to breathe in case they risked having Iruka's wrath re-directed upon them.

"Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said quietly, the infuriating grin still in his eye, "I expect you to know your place," he said, bravely ignoring the flame that just ignited in Iruka's eyes and the deep growl starting in his throat, "You are a shinobi of Konoha, a chuunin, no less. It is unbecoming of one to be as emotional as you are. Especially not towards someone who outranks you," he finished calmly. He almost flinched at the loud thump as Iruka slammed his fist into the desk, a few splinters of wood flying up from the impact.

"I don't care if you outrank me, Hatake!" Iruka roared, sending a couple of his co-workers scurrying out of the room in alarm. No amount of curiosity could sway them into risking their lives if they got caught in a fight between Sharingan no Kakashi and Iruka-sensei-when-he-was-mad. "I respect your skills as a warrior, Hatake, but I cannot possibly respect you as a person, when you seem to have no idea how to acknowledge anybody else besides yourself!" yelled Iruka, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Iruka, that is enough," came a voice from the door. Iruka's eyes widened.

"G-Godaime-sama," he said awkwardly, looking down at his dented desk.

"Iruka-sensei, you're off duty for today. Go home and cool off a bit," said Tsunade gently, her eyes softening at the sight of the usually friendly man standing with his fists clenched and his shoulders taught.

"Hai," said Iruka shortly, bowing briefly before disappearing out the window without a backwards glance.

"Brat!" Tsunade turned to face the jounin, her eyes immediately hardening, "What the hell did you do?" she demanded.

"Maa…I just told him that it was his job to fill in the paperwork, not mine," said Kakashi with a shrug, rubbing the back of his head, "I was just kidding," he muttered. Tsunade sighed.

"Don't you have any tact whatsoever?" she asked, sounding exasperated. Kakashi shrugged again. The jounin even had the nerve to pull out his infuriating orange book before he disappeared from the room. "No manners whatsoever," the Hokage muttered to herself, shaking her head.

***

Iruka opened his door a crack, a frown on his brow.

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

"Iruka-sensei. I'm under the impression that you'd expect an apology in this kind of situation," said Kakashi, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed.

Iruka's eyes simply narrowed as he wordlessly waited for the jounin to continue.

"Well, I will apologize for what I said about the paperwork. I've realized that it is not your fault that your skills limit you to being a chuunin, and that entails paperwork, and you do not need to have this fact rubbed in your face," said Kakashi blandly, noticing the twitch that suddenly appeared on the teacher's brow, despite the continued silence, "I appreciate that you will not treat me differently just because of my reputation or my rank. This is something that I can admire in you. But I will not apologize about what I said afterwards. You cannot deny that you are far too emotional, and that would be detrimental in a mission when you are faced with an enemy. It is a sign of weakness. But I suppose this is why you have remained a chuunin," Kakashi finished, his eyes fixed firmly on the teacher's face.

Iruka took a deep breath and closed his eyes slowly.

"Did you come all the way to my home just to insult me, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked, the strain audible in his voice.

"I wasn't' insulting you, I was bringing to attention an important flaw in your character," Kakashi said.

Iruka sighed, the tension suddenly slipping out of his shoulders. He looked up at the silver-haired man, noticing the surprise on his mostly covered face.

"Kakashi-sensei, I am not on a mission, and you are not an enemy," Iruka said patiently in his teacher voice, "I understand that you are not comfortable with expressing your emotions, but you cannot tell other people not to express theirs just because you do not know how to deal with them," said the teacher.

"Fair enough. Similarly, it is unfair on me that you insist on being over-emotional around me, knowing that I am ill-equipped to deal with it," Kakashi said. Iruka stared at the man, a disbelieving look on his face.

"Hatake, I am only ever 'over-emotional' around you because you taunt me," said Iruka, the patience starting to slip from his voice, "You are constantly late, your mission reports are a mess, you are impolite and you continuously insult me," Iruka said, ignoring Kakashi as he opened and shut his mouth, trying to get in a word, "You use your higher ranking against me, knowing that I hate it, and that it never gets you anywhere except yelled at! You never apologize, even when you know you're wrong! It's like you're _trying_ to get a reaction from me!" Iruka continued, his voice slipping further and further away from the patience he was trying to maintain.

"You see what I mean? If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you can't be surprised if somebody gets dust on it," said Kakashi, the infuriating curve starting to appear in his eye.

"Don't you grin your eye at me Hatake!" Iruka yelled, his patience snapping for the second time that day, "I hate that stupid curve! You hide behind it, thinking that everyone will think you're grinning, as if nobody notices that your mouth isn't smiling behind your stupid mask, and maybe nobody else notices but I do! What do you want from me, Hatake?" Iruka demanded, ignoring the wide eyed look that appeared uncharacteristically on the older man's face. Iruka's fist tightened around the doorknob as he glared angrily at the jounin on his doorstep. "What are you even doing here? I certainly didn't invite you. I don't 'insist on being over-emotional around you', Hatake! If you hate it so much, stop drawing it out of me. Do you think I make it a habit of being angry with you?" Iruka growled.

Kakashi stared at the younger man fuming before him, his eyes no longer wide that Iruka, of all people, knew the true purpose of his grinning eye, but his heart still pounding in his chest at the impassioned look upon the chuunin's face as his breath came in puffs after his stream of yelling. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Kakashi…wha—," Iruka muttered, his eyes widening at the clouded look that suddenly appeared in Kakashi's eyes before the jounin leaned forward, pulled his mask down and pressed his lips against Iruka's, which had parted slightly in surprise, much to the older man's delight. Suddenly he saw stars as a sharp pain shot through his stomach and he fell back, coughing as the breath was knocked out of him.

"Wh-what was that for," Kakashi coughed, grasping his torso in pain. The chuunin packed quite a punch.

"You…" Iruka said, his voice a low whisper, "This is what I was talking about… You deliberately do things to infuriate me…I…!" he backed up, glaring down at the jounin on his doorstep, "If you're trying to prove a point, Hatake, you've gone too far. But I get it. If it's so bloody important to you, I wont 'wear my heart on my sleeve' around you anymore. I hope you enjoy your little victory," the chuunin said, his voice low as he shut the door with a click. Kakashi stared at the wooden door, the sound of footsteps slowly fading away behind it.

"Damn," Kakashi softly cursed, pulling his mask back up. He scowled at himself for losing control. This is why he didn't like showing his emotions. They always messed up.


	2. Something Nice

**A/N: **Sorry if this chapter isn't up to expectations…I'm currently experiencing what some affectionately call writer's block. I call it incompetence.

**Emotional**

**-Something Nice-**

Kakashi scowled at the jounin leaning against Iruka's desk, laughing at something the teacher said. Iruka had a pleasant smile on his face that widened at something the guy said. The copy-nin felt his scowl deepen when the other jounin put his hand on Iruka's shoulder and squeezed it, almost growling when Iruka patted the hand companionably. He hopped down from the tree, silently fuming as he pretended to read the little orange book in his fingers. From the outside, he looked bored as usual, but his inner turmoil could put Sakura's to shame.

After his last encounter with Iruka four days ago, the teacher had pretty much given him the silent treatment. Or more like the apathy treatment. True to his word, Iruka stopped being emotional around Kakashi. Even when Kakashi taunted him with his usual tactics, Iruka simply nodded indifferently, said a politely curt word or two, or otherwise just plain ignored the other man. In the short time that Kakashi had been treated to this indifference, he realized that Iruka was spot on when he accused Kakashi of taunting him on purpose.

Kakashi scowled at himself as he reluctantly admitted that he missed it. He dreadfully missed it. He desperately wanted to feel that sensation of having all of Iruka's attention directed at him once more.

And he knew how he was going to get it.

Iruka was giving him this silent treatment because of something he had done. If something as simple as a kiss had made Iruka angry enough to stop being angry, or at least pretend to – Kakashi didn't fail to notice the little twitch in the teacher's brow or the sparks that fizzled in the dark eyes when he continued to hand in messy mission reports or tease about the chuunin's rank – then imagine what something more than a kiss might make the teacher do. And recently, Kakashi had begun imagining this sort of thing with increasing frequency…

***

"Can I help you, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked as he turned around to face the jounin. He sensed the man entering through his kitchen window, making a big noise with the curtains – he hadn't even bothered trying to sneak in.

"No, I'm quite alright," said Kakashi with that little grin on his eye. Iruka felt irritation bubble up in him. What was it about this man that set Iruka at boiling point so easily?

"Then forgive me if I'm being rude, but what are you doing in my kitchen?" Iruka asked curtly.

"Not much. Just standing around, really," Kakashi answered pleasantly. There was a genuine little grin in his eye this time, and Iruka couldn't help the twitch in the corner of his own lips before he remembered the situation.

"Indeed," he answered shortly, before turning around once more to put away the dishes he'd just washed.

"What did you have for supper?" Kakashi asked conversationally as he watched the chuunin bustle about the little kitchen.

"Chinese pork dumplings," Iruka answered shortly, packing the dishes away.

"Boiled or steamed?" Kakashi asked.

"Fried," Iruka answered.

"I was unaware of that method of cooking Chinese dumplings," Kakashi said.

"Oh," Iruka answered.

"Will you teach it to me?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka turned around with a sigh and crossed his arms, leaning against the sink, "Kakashi stop playing games. What do you want?" he asked impatiently. Kakashi shrugged, a smile on his lips that he knew Iruka could see despite the mask.

"You've been very good this week," Kakashi said, leaning comfortably against the doorframe, effectively blocking the conventional exit to the kitchen and trapping the chuunin inside.

"What are you talking about?" Iruka asked, his eyes narrowing briefly at the realization that he was trapped before he shrugged it off and turned to fill the kettle with water.

"You've not yelled at me once all week," said Kakashi with a nod when Iruka gestured at a pot of tea leaves.

"Yes, well. Wouldn't want to disappoint you," said Iruka dismissively, placing a few pinches of the leaves into a couple of cups.

"I've missed it," said Kakashi casually, noticing the pause in Iruka's actions.

"What?"

"I've missed it a lot," Kakashi continued, watching as Iruka placed his hands onto the edge of the counter as he leaned forwards, waiting for the kettle to boil.

"You're not making sense, Kakashi-san," Iruka said with a sigh, as if to say 'not like you ever do'.

"I make perfect sense, if you listen."

"You're saying that you miss being yelled at," said Iruka disbelievingly, turning to look at Kakashi with a brow raised.

"I miss being yelled at by you," said Kakashi with a serious nod.

"You're insane," said Iruka, crossing his arms.

"No, I'm addicted," Kakashi admitted with a shrug. Iruka raised both brows.

"To being yelled at?"

"Iruka…the reactions that you rewarded me with…the explosive energy that you possess…let me escape from the mindless faces that swim in the bloody mess of my memories," said Kakashi quietly. Iruka's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected confession before he frowned again.

"I'm not an angry person by nature, Kakashi-san. I'm temperamental, but I'm not a sadist. If you're such a masochist, I suggest you go and piss off Ibiki. Or Anko."

Kakashi chuckled lightly and saw Iruka's eyes soften at the sound.

"It's not the anger. I just realized that when you were angry at me, you directed your full attention towards me. You focused all of you emotions on a single point, and it was like nothing I had ever experienced before… to be the center of this fiery, brief little universe," Kakashi stepped closer, but stopped at the suspicious look that appeared in Iruka's eyes. He stopped and continued with a sigh, "Your emotions had unwittingly become my drug, sensei. That anger without murderous intent. The fury that never spilled over into hate. The pure, raw feeling that only you seem to be capable of…I want more," he finally said, looking up and directly into the dark brown eyes as they stared wordlessly at him.

"So why did you go through so much trouble to make me stop being so emotional, besides the fact that it annoyed me?"

Kakashi shrugged, and looked away.

"Kakashi-san, I asked you a question," Iruka said firmly, but his voice was sincere, and Kakashi looked up reluctantly.

"I didn't know how to deal with it," Kakashi said, "I don't like being helpless. Your explosive but untarnished fury was unfamiliar. But the more I received it, the more I wanted it…," Kakashi shook his head, "You scare me, Iruka."

Iruka grinned, "What? Helpless little chuunin like me?"

"You know I was just taunting you. That fist in my gut still hurts," Kakashi admitted, rubbing his stomach where Iruka had punched him.

"Oh…that…yeah…," Iruka muttered, turning away to fill the tea cups with water, "So you basically just taunted me to make me angry so you could have your little highs on adrenaline," Iruka said, shaking his head, "Typical. Ever considered that maybe I don't enjoy being angry, Hatake?"

"Yes. That was another reason why I wanted you to stop. Because if you didn't, I couldn't stop myself from trying to make you angry with me," Kakashi said with a smirk. He was surprised at the sound of laughter from the chuunin and he looked up to see the teacher shaking his head in disbelief, quietly sipping his tea, the other cup resting beside him on the counter.

"You're unbelievable, Hatake. No wonder you're a jounin. You're completely insane," Iruka chuckled, the suspect having long disappeared from his eyes as Kakashi came closer to pick up his tea.

"Lack of insanity is pretty much the only real reason why you're not a jounin," Kakashi muttered as he leaned against the counter besides Iruka. This easy companionship was something unfamiliar to Kakashi, and he found it incredibly enticing.

"That, and my over-emotional nature," Iruka teased, looking away as the jounin pulled down his mask. Kakashi grinned into his tea as the two men quietly stood in the neat little kitchen.

"Thank you for the tea," Kakashi said as he finished, subtly pulling his mask back up. He placed the cup in the sink before heading towards the window, "This is the second time I've invited myself over. Sorry."

"Seriously, why did you come here anyway?" Iruka asked, rinsing the cups before putting them away.

"I was going to try making you angry again," Kakashi grinned cheekily. Iruka scoffed at him.

"Has it not occurred to you that I do have other emotions?"

"I learned today that having tea with you is also quite nice," Kakashi smiled, "Not as exciting as getting yelled at, but…it'll do."

Iruka shook his head with a grin, "Get out of here you damned druggie," he laughed, still grinning as Kakashi disappeared from the window. There was a small smile concealed behind the mask, his mind soothed by Iruka's easy laughter.


End file.
